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July 2016

Sarah Woodhead is an architect who came to Brookland in 1991, with her husband and three kids. They bought an abandoned house on Kearney with graffiti, no heat, and mice living in the oven. “We fixed it up while living in it and it took us 10 years to get it all fixed. We did a lot of work ourselves. After we finished it we had to move because I needed projects. So we bought another project house, and we’ve been here for 12 years. It’s not done yet.”

She has worked in DC, Arlington and PG counties on building and modernizing schools. “When I was 12, I just started designing buildings. I didn’t know any architects so I didn’t know how to go about it. So my undergraduate degree is in Middle East Studies and Arabic. So then I went back to graduate

Malaku Steen graduated from Catholic University Law School in 1963. He was the attorney who enforced anti-discrimination law for the Department of the Treasury. Any local government that discriminated would lose federal money.

One of his first cases was getting the Volunteer Fire Department in Dover, Delaware to integrate. “I said, ‘How in the world am I going to threaten a volunteer fire department with discrimination? They might say, ‘OK we won’t put out any fires.’” However, the head of the volunteer fire department was also a member of the City Council. So in order to not lose federal money, he opened the fire department to African American volunteers.

Welcome home: Stroll past the welcoming front porch and through the custom wood front door and appreciate this stunningly renovated and spacious home.

Custom high-end renovation just completed and transformed this home into a masterpiece. Big, bright and open floor plan anchored by a true chef kitchen with stainless steel appliances, Quartz countertops, and cabinets galore. Tall ceilings and big windows fill the house with light and highlight the warm hardwood floors. The expansive dining room simply calls to host dinner parties with friends. Let the party spill out back on to the rear deck overlooking the park with urban garden plots and tennis courts. There is plenty of room for

Fr. Jim Gardiner remembers "a bus trip that I took to the motherhouse of what is now my community, Friars of the Atonement, in Garrison, NY. I was in the first grade. First time we ever went anyplace. . . a couple of hours from the Bronx where I grew up. As we were getting ready to leave, one of the priests there asked me if I had a good day. I told him I thought I had a wonderful day and he said, ‘I’m going to pray every day that you come back.”

Fr. Jim joined the Franciscan community after high school and came to DC for seminary, studying two years at CUA. “This neighborhood reminds me of my neighborhood in the Bronx because everybody has gardens, everybody shares what’s in the garden . . .You can always

Iluminada Sanchez came to United States with her son from the Dominican Republic in 1995 after her husband. She and her husband were both lawyers but “in my country the economic situation was not good and we had a plan to make our life better. That’s why we decided to come here.”

In her first year, her daughter was born prematurely and she could not work, so she stayed home to care for her children. Her family moved into a transitional housing apartment at the nonprofit Mary House in Brookland, and Iluminada helped organize and distribute donations of clothing for families while living there. She is now on the board of Mary House. “I will always be grateful to them because when you come to another country,

Open spaces and refined finishes abound in this light-lovers’ renovated home! Huge living room with replace flows into large chef-driven kitchen and dining space. Master bedroom with walk-in closet and en-suite bath with separate tub and dual vanity. Amazing basement in-law suite with private kitchen, laundry, bathroom, bedroom with egress window, and private side-entrance. Not a detail overlooked in this great home close to amazing neighborhood amenities: CVS, Safeway, Starbucks, Fort Stevens Rec Center, Takoma Aquatic Center, Busboys and Poets, just

This tastefully upgraded and deeply-loved bungalow carefully blends modern upgrades with original charm and refined details. It is destined to be your forever home in this gorgeous location. After you've enjoyed the breeze from the front porch, enter through the substantial wooden front door and into the light-filled foyer. The large and proportional living room with wood burning fireplace is perfectly arranged for relaxing and entertaining. Cheerful sunlight pours in through large windows and illuminates the warmth of the original hardwood floors.